Gas firms claim agreement with Bugtis

National and foreign gas exploration companies and the chief of the Bugti tribe, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, are reported to have reached an agreement at Dera Bugti settling various contentious issues concerning Sui and Pirkoh gas fields.

The chief secretary of Balochistan, the managing director of PPL, and the general manager of OGDC took part in the negotiations which were held on the instructions of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

According to the agreement, the children of retired and deceased employees of the gas fields will be given jobs in the gas fields. This had remained a major area of contention, with tribal chiefs in the area complaining that locals were not given employment.

It was also agreed that free gas will be provided to people living in the radius of three kilometres of the gas fields.

In future, the Bugti tribe will be given jobs at the gas fields according to 70 per cent quota fixed for them.

Expressing his satisfaction over the talks, Nawab Bugti told PTV that implementation of the agreement would produce good results. He said their demands are being met and problems between gas companies and them will be resolved.

Petroleum and Natural Resources secretary Abdullah Yousaf said for some days workers at Sui and Pirkoh gas fields were protesting due to the threat they faced as a result of heightened tension in the area, but now normalcy had returned. The two sides reached a principled agreement after which the protest-like situation had ended.

It is also understood that the Bugti tribal chief has obtained an assurance from Prime Minister Jamali that apart from the provision of natural gas to the Bugti area, efforts to expand education and health cover in the area would also continue.

The "neglect" of the Baloch areas in terms of welfare policies has long been a complaint of the province. While it is hoped that the agreement will, in the shorter term, end the attacks on the pipeline supplying natural gas to the Punjab and other provinces, it is uncertain if the agreement will be a lasting one.

Efforts to reach similar accords with Baloch tribal chiefs have in the past had a tendency to fizzle out. As a part of the settlement deal, it has also been agreed that any future exploration for gas or oil reserves in the area will be carried out only with the consent of the Bugtis.

In addition, the Bugtis will release the at least 10 police officials thought to have been kidnapped by tribesmen, with Nawab Akbar Bugti promising he would personally "look into this matter."

Whereas Prime Minister Jamali appears to have succeeded in finally reaching an agreement with the Bugtis, it is uncertain if the agreement not to inflict damage on he natural gas pipeline will extend to other, smaller tribes also engaged in a dispute with other tribals in the area.

Some attacks on the pipeline have been carried out by these tribals, and it is feared such attacks may continue over the next weeks, until their rievances are addressed.

Critics also say the agreement reached with the Bugtis amounts to "giving in to their blackmail" and this will in fact aggravate matters in the area in the future, with more attacks on infrastructure planned whenever they wish to ensure a demand of any kind is met.